Germany Naming Customs: Difference between revisions

Many given names have variants and dialectical forms. Barbara, for example, can appear as Barbel, Barbele, Barbeli, Bärbel, Bärbchen, Bärmel, Bäbi, or even Wawerl or Wetti. Some areas of Germany may use diminutive forms of names more than others. A good way to determine naming customs of the area is to study the patterns found in the records of birth/christening, marriages, and burials/deaths. If major changes occur in the naming patterns or form used, that could indicate a ministerial change, perhaps one coming from another area. Several books are available that list variant forms of given names.  

For more details about German naming customs, spellings, grammatical endings, and variants read Kenneth L. Smith's [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=498963&disp=German+church+books%20%20&columns=*,0,0 ''German Church Books: Beyond the Basics''] Camden, Maine : Picton Press, 1989. (943 D27skL.)